# Eelam War II

vteSri Lankan civil war :
Main topics
Eelam War I
Indian intervention
Eelam War II
Eelam War III
Eelam War IV
Battles and operations
Bombings and terrorist attacks
Other military attacks
Mass graves
Chemmani
Duraiappa
Mirusuvil
Sooriyakanda
Massacres
Black July
Kokkilai massacre
1985 Valvettiturai
Kumudini
Akkaraipattu
Prawn farm
Eastern University
1990 Batticaloa
Massacre of policemen
1991 Kokkadichcholai
Air Lanka Flight 512
Jaffna lagoon
Aluth Oya massacre
Navaly
Nagerkovil-Allaipiddy
Vankalai
Central Bus Station bombing
Muttur
Kent and Dollar Farm
Anuradhapura
Aranthalawa
Kattankudi mosque
Palliyagodella
Lionair Flight 602
Kallarawa
October 1995
Gonagala
Kebithigollewa
Jaffna Hospital
Central Bank bombing
Dehiwala train bombing
1989 Valvettiturai
Habarana massacre :
Eelam War II refers to the second phase of the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, lasting from June 1990 to 1995. The war erupted after the breakdown of peace talks between the LTTE and the government of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, during which mutual distrust and provocations escalated tensions.

## Military operations

The Eelam War II, saw the LTTE shifting to conventional warfare tactics with the deployment of large groups of soldiers to first attack isolated Sri Lanka Army detachments of platoon or company strength in the Northern Province such as Kokavil in June and July 1990 where it overran the detachment; Mullaitivu September 1990 which was relieved by Operation Sea Breeze the first amphibious operation launched by the Sri Lankan military; while it kept the army garrison at the Jaffna Fort besieged until it was broken by Operation Thrividha Balaya in September 1990. A major change in LTTE tactics came in the First Battle of Elephant Pass in which the LTTE besieged the army garrison of a full battalion strength at the strategic Elephant Pass from 10 July to 9 August 1991 until a relief force that had been led from the sea under Operation Balavegaya broke the siege. Casualties were high and the LTTE had deployed a large force of 5,000 cadres to lay siege to the army base and stop the relief force. LTTE continued to engage the army in small skirmishes and ambushes. The army also launched several limited operations with the aim of drawing out and killing LTTE carders. In August 1992, the military lost several of its senior leaders in a landmine explosion Araly point which killed Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne, both charismatic field commanders, followed by the assassination of the head of the navy Vice Admiral Clancy Fernando in Colombo by a suicide bomber. In 1993, Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber on May Day and LTTE was able to launch two major attacks on army detachments in the Battle of Janakapura and the Battle of Pooneryn, which resulted in major loss of life and equipment for the army.

## Civilian killings
### Massacre of police officers

In June 1990, the LTTE eastern cadres, led by then-LTTE Eastern commander Karuna Amman, killed 774 police officers stationed in the Eastern province, after they had surrendered to the LTTE.

### Palliyagodella massacre

The background to this attack was seen as a retaliation by the LTTE against Muslims believed to be working as an informers for the government forces in the Eastern region of Sri Lanka, and allegedly for their roles as Home Guards. The Palliyagodella villagers had asked the Sri Lankan military, fearing an attack by the LTTE, for protection. The Sri Lankan forces issued shotguns to the Muslims and Singhalese villagers, which some Muslims used to attack Tamil civilians and LTTE. Because of these incidents in October 1991 in which LTTE militants killed 109 Muslims in Palliyagodella.

### 1990 Batticaloa massacre

The 1990 Batticaloa massacre, also known as the Sathurukondan massacre, was a massacre of at least 184 Tamil refugees from three villages in the Batticaloa District by the Sri Lankan Army on September 9, 1990. According to the Special Presidential Commission of inquiry appointed by the People's Alliance government, 5 infants, 42 children under the age of ten, 85 women and 28 old persons were among the 184 villagers who were murdered. Three captains of the Sri Lankan Army were identified as the culprits.

### 1991 Kokkadichcholai massacre

On June 12, 1991, following a LTTE landmine attack on the Sri Lankan Army, 152 Tamil civilians were massacred by members of the Sri Lankan Army in the village Kokkadichcholai near the eastern province town of Batticaloa. Locals also reported that six Tamil women were raped, including two sisters.